Systems and methods for processing objects including a zone gantry system

ABSTRACT

A storage, retrieval and processing system for processing objects is disclosed. The storage, retrieval and processing system includes a plurality of storage bins, a plurality of destination bins, and a processing programmable motion device. The plurality of storage bins provides storage of a plurality of objects, where the plurality of storage bins are in communication with a gantry retrieval conveyance system for moving selected bins to a bin processing location. The plurality of destination bins are in communication with the gantry retrieval conveyance system for moving a selected destination bin to the processing location. The processing programmable motion device is at the processing location and is in communication with the gantry retrieval conveyance system. The processing programmable motion device includes an end effector for grasping and moving a selected object out of a selected storage bin and depositing the selected object in the selected destination bin.

PRIORITY

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/925,409, filed Mar. 19, 2018, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/473,857, filed Mar. 20, 2017,the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND

The invention generally relates to storage and retrieval systems, andrelates in particular to automated storage and retrieval systems thatare used with systems for processing objects.

Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) generally includecomputer controlled systems for automatically storing (placing) andretrieving items from defined storage locations. Traditional AS/RStypically employ totes (or bins), which are the smallest unit of loadfor the system. In these systems, the totes are brought to people whopick individual items out of the totes. When a person has picked therequired number of items out of the tote, the tote is then re-inductedback into the AS/RS.

In these traditional systems, the totes are brought to a person, and theperson may either remove an item from the tote or add an item to thetote. The tote is then returned to the storage location. Such systems,for example, may be used in libraries and warehouse storage facilities.The AS/RS involves no processing of the items in the tote, as a personprocesses the objects when the tote is brought to the person. Thisseparation of jobs allows any automated transport system to do what itis good at—moving totes—and the person to do what the person is betterat—picking items out of cluttered totes. It also means the person maystand in one place while the transport system brings the person totes,which increases the rate at which the person can pick goods.

There are limits however, on such conventional systems in terms of thetime and resources required to move totes toward and then away from eachperson, as well as how quickly a person can process totes in thisfashion in applications where each person may be required to process alarge number of totes. There remains a need therefore, for an AS/RS thatstores and retrieves objects more efficiently and cost effectively, yetalso assists in the processing of a wide variety of objects.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an embodiment, the invention provides a storage,retrieval and processing system for processing objects. The storage,retrieval and processing system includes a plurality of storage bins, aplurality of destination bins, and a processing programmable motiondevice. The plurality of storage bins provides storage of a plurality ofobjects, where the plurality of storage bins are in communication with agantry retrieval conveyance system for moving selected bins to a binprocessing location. The plurality of destination bins are incommunication with the gantry retrieval conveyance system for moving aselected destination bin to the processing location. The processingprogrammable motion device is at the processing location and is incommunication with the gantry retrieval conveyance system. Theprocessing programmable motion device includes an end effector forgrasping and moving a selected object out of a selected storage bin anddepositing the selected object in the selected destination bin.

In accordance with another embodiment, the invention provides a storage,retrieval and processing system for processing objects. The storage,retrieval and processing system includes plurality of storage binsproviding storage of a plurality of objects, where the plurality ofstorage bins being in communication with a gantry retrieval conveyancesystem for moving selected storage bins to a storage bin processinglocation, a processing programmable motion device in communication withthe storage bin processing location for receiving a selected storage binfrom the plurality of bins, where the processing programmable motiondevice including an end effector for grasping and moving a selectedobject out of a selected storage bin, and a plurality of destinationbins in communication with a destination conveyance system for moving aselected destination bin from a destination bin processing location thatis proximate the processing programmable motion device.

In accordance with a further embodiment, the invention provides a methodof providing storage, retrieval and processing of objects. The methodincludes the steps of providing a plurality of storage bins for storinga plurality of objects, where the plurality of storage bins being incommunication with a gantry retrieval conveyance system, receiving astorage bin from the plurality of storage bins proximate a programmablemotion device in communication with the retrieval conveyance system,receiving a selected destination bin from a plurality of destinationbins, grasping and moving a selected object out of the selected storagebin, receiving the selected object from the programmable motion device,and carrying the selected object to the selected destination bin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description may be further understood with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view of a storage, retrievaland processing system in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view of bin retrieval systemfor use in the storage, retrieval and processing system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show illustrative diagrammatic views of graspingmechanisms for use in the retrieval system of FIG. 2 for graspingdifferent types of bins;

FIG. 4 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view of processingprogrammable motion device for use in a system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view from the perceptionsystem of FIG. 4, showing a view of objects within a bin of objects tobe processed;

FIGS. 6A and 6B show an illustrative diagrammatic view of a graspselection process in a storage, retrieval and processing system of thean embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B show an illustrative diagrammatic view of a graspplanning process in a storage, retrieval and processing system of the anembodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A and 8B show an illustrative diagrammatic view of a graspexecution process in a storage, retrieval and processing system of thean embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view of a storage, retrievaland processing system in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention employing a single common gantry system;

FIG. 10 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view of a storage, retrievaland processing system in accordance with a further embodiment of thepresent invention employing a processing station between arrays ofstorages bins and processing bins; and

FIG. 11 shows an illustrative diagrammatic view of a storage, retrievaland processing system in accordance with a further embodiment of thepresent invention employing multiple floors of systems as shown in FIG.10.

The drawings are shown for illustrative purposes only.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with an embodiment, the invention provides a processingsystem for processing objects. The processing system includes aplurality of storage bins providing storage of a plurality of objects, aprocessing programmable motion device, and a plurality of destinationbins. The plurality of storage bins are in communication with a storagebin retrieval conveyance system for moving selected storage bins to astorage bin processing location. The processing programmable motiondevice is in communication with the storage bin processing location forreceiving a selected storage bin from the plurality of bins, and theprocessing programmable motion device includes an end effector forgrasping and moving a selected object out of a selected storage bin. Theplurality of destination bins is in communication with a destinationconveyance system for moving a selected destination bin from adestination bin processing location that is proximate the processingprogrammable motion device to the plurality of destination bins.

With reference to FIG. 1, a system 10 of an embodiment of the presentinvention includes storage section 12 for storing a plurality of storagebins 14, a destination section 16 for maintaining a plurality ofdestination bins 18, and a processing section 20 that includes aprogrammable motion device 22. The storage section also includes astorage programmable motion device 24 for moving storage bins 14 to andfrom the processing station 20, and the destination section includes adestination programmable motion device 26 for moving destination bins toand from the processing section 20. In particular, the devices 24, 26may bring bins to and retrieve bins from conveyors 21 that feed bins toand from the programmable motion device 22. Generally, one or a smallnumber of storage bins 14 are provided to the processing section 20, andone or a small number of destination bins 18 are provided to theprocessing section 20.

The processing programmable motion device 22 (e.g., a roboticarticulated arm) then distributes objects from the retrieved storagebins to the retrieved destination bins. The programmable motion device20 is programmed to retrieve objects from the selected storage bin(s),and provide them to destination bins 22 in accordance with a manifest.Following processing, the returned storage bin(s) may be returnedanywhere in the storage section as long as the system knows where eachbin has been returned, and the returned destination bin(s) may bereturned anywhere in the storage section as long as the system knowswhere each bin has been returned. The bins may be provided as boxes,totes, containers or any other type of device that may receive and holdan item.

FIG. 2 shows the storage programmable motion device 24 that includes andis mounted from an x-y gantry 23, 25. The destination programmablemotion device 26 may be the same as device 24 and similarly include thesame x-y gantry 23, 25. The x-y gantry provides that a graspingmechanism 30 the device (24, 26), may be moved in X and Y direction(horizontally) so that all bins within the section may be readilyaccessed by the grasping mechanism 30 of the device (24, 26). FIG. 3Ashows the grasping mechanism 30 of the device 24 grasping a storage bin14, and FIG. 3B shows the grasping mechanism 30 of the device 26grasping a destination bin 18. The grasping device may, for example,move the clamp walls away from each other when being lowered over a bin,then bring the clamp walls close to each other to grasp a bin. Releasinga bin would involve moving the clamp walls away from each other.

FIG. 4 shows the processing station 20, which includes the processingprogrammable motion device 22 (e.g., an articulated arm) having an endeffector 32. The processing station also includes a perception unit 40for providing perception data (e.g., camera images or scanning data)regarding the bins 14, 18, and in particular, regarding the contents ofthe storage bins 14. Since the system places the bins 14, 18 at theprocessing station, the system will know the locations of the bins. Theprocessing system however, should determine proper grasp locations ofthe objects in the bin(s) 14. FIG. 5 shows an image view 50 of the bin14 from the perception unit 40. The image view shows the bin 14, and thebin 14 contains objects 78, 80, 82, 84 and 86. In the presentembodiment, the objects are homogenous, and are intended fordistribution to different distribution packages. Superimposed on theobjects 78, 80, 82, 84, 86 (for illustrative purposes) are anticipatedgrasp locations 79, 81, 83 and 85 of the objects. Note that whilecandidate grasp locations 79, 83 and 85 appear to be good grasplocations, grasp location 81 does not because its associated object isat least partially underneath another object. The system may also noteven try to yet identify a grasp location for the object 84 because theobject 84 is too obscured by other objects. Candidate grasp locationsmay be indicated using a 3D model of the robot end effector placed inthe location where the actual end effector would go to use as a grasplocation as shown in FIG. 5. Grasp locations may be considered good, forexample, if they are close to the center of mass of the object toprovide greater stability during grasp and transport, and/or if theyavoid places on an object such as caps, seams etc. where a good vacuumseal might not be available.

If an object cannot be fully perceived by the detection system, theperception system considers the object to be two different objects, andmay propose more than one candidate grasps of such two differentobjects. If the system executes a grasp at either of these bad grasplocations, it will either fail to acquire the object due to a bad grasppoint where a vacuum seal will not occur, or will acquire the object ata grasp location that is very far from the center of mass of the objectand thereby induce a great deal of instability during any attemptedtransport. Each of these results is undesirable.

If a bad grasp location is experienced, the system may remember thatlocation for the associated object. By identifying good and bad grasplocations, a correlation is established between features in the 2D/3Dimages and the idea of good or bad grasp locations. Using this data andthese correlations as input to machine learning algorithms, the systemmay eventually learn, for each image presented to it, where to bestgrasp an object, and where to avoid grasping an object.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the perception system may also identifyportions of an object that are the most flat in the generation of goodgrasp location information. In particular, if an object includes atubular end and a flat end such as object 87, the system would identifythe more flat end as shown at 88 in FIG. 6B. Additionally, the systemmay select the area of an object where a UPC code appears, as such codesare often printed on a relatively flat portion of the object tofacilitate scanning of the barcode.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show that for each object 90, 92, the grasp selectionsystem may determine a direction that is normal to the selected flatportion of the object 90, 92 as shown at A and B. As shown in FIGS. 8Aand 8B, the robotic system will then direct the end effector 94 toapproach each object 90, 92 from the direction that is normal to thesurface in order to better facilitate the generation of a good grasp oneach object. By approaching each object from a direction that issubstantially normal to a surface of the object, the robotic systemsignificantly improves the likelihood of obtaining a good grasp of theobject, particularly when a vacuum end effector is employed.

The invention provides therefore in certain embodiments that graspoptimization may be based on determination of surface normal, i.e.,moving the end effector to be normal to the perceived surface of theobject (as opposed to vertical picks), and that such grasp points may bechosen using fiducial features as grasp points, such as picking on abarcode, given that barcodes are almost always applied to a flat spot onthe object.

With reference to FIG. 9, in accordance with a further embodiment, theinvention provides system 100 that may similarly include a storagesection for storing a plurality of storage bins 114, a destinationsection for maintaining a plurality of destination bins 118, and aprocessing section 120 that includes a programmable motion device 122.Note that the storage section is mingled with the destination section,such that the storage bins 114 are mingled with the destination bins118. Any location, in fact, may change fluidly during processing,providing that the system may use any location for either a storage bin114 or a destination bin 118 as bins are processed. The system alsoincludes a common programmable motion device 124 for moving storage bins114 to and from the processing station 120, and for moving destinationbins 118 to and from the processing section 120 using, for example,either of the grasping mechanisms of FIG. 3A or 3B as may be best suitedfor the bins.

Both the storage programmable device 124 and the destinationprogrammable motion device 126 are provided with a single common gantrysystem 128, permitting each grasping mechanism 130 to access all bins114, 118. In the system 100 of FIG. 9, in fact, there is no requirementthat the bins 114, 118 be maintained in physically separate areas asthey may be comingled. This is also true of the systems 10, 200 and 300.In this case the storage section may be discontinuous and include theplaces where storage bins are located, and the destination section maybe discontinuous and include the places where destination bins arelocated. If the bins were fully intermingled, each section would have acheckerboard-like composition.

Again, one or a small number of storage bins 114 are provided to theprocessing section 120, and one or a small number of destination bins118 are provided to the processing section 120. The processingprogrammable motion device 122 (e.g., a robotic articulated arm) thendistributes objects from the retrieved storage bins to the retrieveddestination bins. The programmable motion device 120 is programmed toretrieve objects from the selected storage bin(s), and provide them todestination bins 122 in accordance with a manifest. Followingprocessing, the returned storage bin(s) may be returned anywhere in thestorage section as long as the system knows where each bin has beenreturned, and the returned destination bin(s) may be returned anywherein the storage section as long as the system knows where each bin hasbeen returned. Once a destination bin is completely processed, the binmay be placed on an output conveyor or output staging area, or placed ona floor pallet for shipment.

With reference to FIG. 10, in accordance with a further embodiment, theinvention provides a system 200 that may include a pair of storagesections 212 for storing a plurality of storage bins 214, a pair ofdestination sections 216 for maintaining a plurality of destination bins218, and a common processing section 220 that includes a programmablemotion device 222. Each storage section 212 also includes a storageprogrammable motion device 224 for moving storage bins 214 to and fromthe processing station 220, and each destination section 216 includes adestination programmable motion device 226 for moving destination bins218 to and from the processing section 220. The operation of the systemis the same as that of the system of FIG. 9, except that the processingsection 220 is able to receive bins 214, 218 from a plurality ofsources.

FIG. 11 shows a system 300 in accordance with a further embodiment ofthe invention that includes many storage sections 312 for storing aplurality of storage bins 314, many destination sections 316 formaintaining a plurality of destination bins 318, and many processingsections 320 that each include a programmable motion device 322. Eachstorage section 312 may also be accessed by multiple storageprogrammable motion devices 324 for moving storage bins 214 to and fromthe processing stations 320, and each destination section 316 may beaccessed by multiple destination programmable motion devices 326 formoving destination bins 318 to and from the processing sections 320. Theoperation of the system is the same as that of the system of FIG. 9,except that the processing sections 320 are able to receive bins 314,318 from many sources on a floor, and there may be many such floors.

Control of each of the systems 10, 100, 200, 300 may be provided by oneor more computer systems 60 that is/are in communication with thestorage programmable motion devices, the destination programmable motiondevices, and the processing programmable motion devices. The computersystem 60 also contains the knowledge (continuously updated) of thelocation and identity of each of the storage bins, and contains theknowledge (also continuously updated) of the location and identity ofeach of the destination bins. The system therefore, directs the movementof the storage bins and the destination bins, and retrieves objects fromthe storage bins, and distributes the objects to the destination bins inaccordance with an overall manifest that dictates which objects must beprovided in which destination boxes for shipment, for example, todistribution or retail locations.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications andvariations may be made to the above disclosed embodiments withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of providing storage, retrieval andprocessing of objects, said method comprising: retrieving and carrying astorage bin with a storage bin retrieval conveyance system that includesa storage gantry and a storage retrieval gantry device thereon, thestorage bin being provided as one or a plurality of storage binsproximate the storage bin retrieval conveyance system; retrieving andcarrying a destination bin with a destination bin retrieval conveyancesystem that includes a destination gantry and a destination gantrydevice thereon, the destination bin being provided as one of a pluralityof destination bins proximate the storage bin retrieval conveyancesystem; providing a bin processing location, wherein the storageretrieval gantry device is positionable over the bin processing locationto provide the storage bin to the bin processing location, and whereinthe destination gantry device is positionable over the bin processinglocation to provide the destination bin to the bin processing location;and grasping and moving an object out of the storage bin and to thedestination bin using a programmable motion device that includes an endeffector for grasping and moving the object.
 2. The method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the plurality of storage bins is provided as an arrayof storage bins at a storage bin holding location.
 3. The method claimedin claim 1, wherein the programmable motion device includes anarticulated arm to which the end effector is attached.
 4. The method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of destination bins isprovided as an array of destination bins at a destination bin holdinglocation.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the programmablemotion device is positioned adjacent the plurality of storage bins andthe plurality of destination bins.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 1,wherein the programmable motion device is positioned between theplurality of storage bins and the plurality of destination bins.
 7. Themethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further includesproviding a completed destination bin to an output conveyor.
 8. Themethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the programmable motion device ispositioned between a plurality of arrays of storage bins and a pluralityof arrays of destination bins.
 9. The method as claimed in claim 8,wherein the programmable motion device is one of a plurality ofprogrammable motion devices, at least one of said plurality ofprogrammable motion devices being provided on each of a plurality ofprocessing floors.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein theplurality of processing floors are stacked.
 11. A method of providingstorage, retrieval and processing of objects, said method comprising:retrieving and carrying a selected storage bin of a plurality of storagebins and destination bins from a bin area with a bin conveyance systemthat includes a gantry and a gantry device, said plurality of storagebins and destination bins being provided proximate the retrievalconveyance system; retrieving and carrying a destination bin of theplurality of storage bins and destination bins from the bin area withthe bin conveyance system that includes the gantry and the gantrydevice; a processing programmable motion device in communication withthe storage bin processing location for receiving the selected storagebin from the plurality of storage bins, said processing programmablemotion device including an end effector for grasping and moving aselected object out of the selected storage bin; providing a binprocessing location, wherein the gantry device is positionable over thebin processing location to provide the storage bin to the bin processinglocation, and wherein the gantry device is positionable over the binprocessing location to provide the destination bin to the bin processinglocation; and grasping and moving an object out of the selected storagebin and to the destination bin using a programmable motion device thatincludes an end effector for grasping and moving the object.
 12. Themethod as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of storage bins andthe plurality of destination bins are provided as an array of bins. 13.The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of storage binsand the plurality of destination bins are provided as a plurality ofarrays of bins.
 14. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein theprogrammable motion device includes an articulated arm to which the endeffector is attached.
 15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein theprogrammable motion device is positioned adjacent the plurality ofstorage bins and destination bins.
 16. The method as claimed in claim11, wherein the method further includes providing a completeddestination bin to an output conveyor.
 17. The method as claimed inclaim 11, wherein the programmable motion device is positioned between aplurality of arrays of storage bins and destination bins.
 18. The methodas claimed in claim 17, wherein the programmable motion device is one ofa plurality of programmable motion devices, at least one of saidplurality of programmable motion devices being provided on each of aplurality of processing floors.
 19. The method as claimed in claim 18,wherein the plurality of processing floors are stacked.
 20. A method ofproviding storage, retrieval and processing of objects, said methodcomprising: providing a plurality of storage bins for storing aplurality of objects, said plurality of storage bins being incommunication with a gantry retrieval conveyance system; conveying aselected storage bin from a first location of the plurality of storagebins to a location proximate a programmable motion device with thegantry retrieval conveyance system; receiving proximate the programmablemotion device a selected destination bin from a plurality of destinationbins; grasping a selected object out of the selected storage bin withthe programmable motion device and moving the selected object to theselected destination bin; and returning the storage bin to a secondlocation of the plurality of storage bins.
 21. The method as claimed inclaim 20, wherein the plurality of storage bins is provided in at leastone linear arrangement accessible by the gantry retrieval conveyancesystem, and wherein the method further includes the step of lifting aselected bin.
 22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the gantryretrieval conveyance system is also adapted to bring the selecteddestination bin back to the plurality of destination bins.
 23. Themethod as claimed in claim 20, wherein the plurality of storage bins andthe plurality of destination bins are provided as an array of bins. 24.The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the plurality of storage binsand the plurality of destination bins are provided as a plurality ofarrays of bins.
 25. The method claimed in claim 20, wherein theprogrammable motion device includes an articulated arm to which the endeffector is attached.
 26. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein theprogrammable motion device is positioned adjacent the plurality ofstorage bins and the plurality of destination bins.
 27. The method asclaimed in claim 20, wherein the method further includes providing acompleted destination bin to an output conveyor.
 28. The method asclaimed in claim 20, wherein the gantry retrieval conveyance systemreturns the selected destination bin to a different location than thatfrom which the selected destination bin had been selected.
 29. Themethod as claimed in claim 28, wherein the different location is ashipment transport location.
 30. The method as claimed in claim 20,wherein the programmable motion device is positioned between a pluralityof arrays of storage bins and destination bins.
 31. The method asclaimed in claim 30, wherein the programmable motion device is one of aplurality of programmable motion devices, at least one of said pluralityof programmable motion devices being provided on each of a plurality ofprocessing floors.
 32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein theplurality of processing floors are stacked.